Feels kind of bad leaving an average review for such a culturally significant, historical landmark... This review is based on its tourism aspect. At the time we visited (March 2023), the pools themselves were... Underwhelming. To my understanding, swimming hasn't been permitted for some time, so to enjoy the Seven Sacred Pools, you kind of look at them from a faraway cliffside. Even then, the view isn't particularly spectacular, it's almost a bit drab-- some pools are dry, others are murky green, and the sheer desert-like heat makes this a relatively unpleasant experience. Ngl I think global warming and the season we visited probably has something to do with its appearance; other folks likely have a different experience. The trails are quite dusty, so sneakers are better than hiking sandals here. Several hiking trails are open (some shaded, some not), which can take a few hours to complete-- better for folks who are doing the Road to Hana backwards or those who have an overnight stay in Hana, since by the time we got here, it would've been late evening by the time we got back to Paia. We did a few short trails, but felt they were very average. I did enjoy the visitor center-- there's plenty of educational pieces on how Polynesians discovered Hawaii, and the later damage done by colonizers. We ended up donating and purchasing a beautiful print of Haleakala. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. read more

Ohe'o Gulch - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

Right at the end of the Road to Hana (for us at least). As everyone else said, it was a pretty easy walk, only about a half mile loop. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you don't have the time/energy for the Pipiwai Trail. There was a $30 entrance fee before coming in but it's good to use for 3 days. They have a decent amount of parking, a nice visitors center, and bathrooms. The view of the pools were very good of course. It's definitely a great turn around spot if you were heading back down the road. read more

See all

(The lower part of 7 pools) It has been 28 years since I have been here! A lot has changed. A lady in downtown Lahaina told me to download the "Shaka " app to drive to Hana and beyond. Def great advice! Last time we got there so late stopping at too many falls I stayed laser focused on time of arrival. (As we left the pools in pitch black and walked through the dark to find our way back to the car) So only stopped a few times for breaks, Twin Falls and climbing through a Lava Tube. The parking lot is now 3 tiered, there is a new building of restrooms and the walk to the lower pools (several ways) that meet the ocean has changed. But, nonetheless is an amazing site! The stairs to where we walked down into the pools were chained & locked closed and totally grown over. The water was seriously rushing fast as most or half the drive was in light rain. We really thought we would be aiming to enjoy swimming in these lower pools with our kids. Def. Should have considered heading to the Venus pool to swim- but we really wanted to see this spot we loved so many years ago. Its a long drive to here but gorgeous and powerful. Swimming seems off limits for now. Or just that everyone is encouraged to walk the trail up over the road to the upper pools. read more

See all

Located within the Haleakala national park and right next to the Pipiwai trails, the Ohe'o gulch involves a walk of ~.75 miles. Within this place, you'll discover beautifully tiered pools fed by waterfalls. Since Oheo is part of Haleakala National Park, the fee you pay here also admits you to the Haleakala Summit and so I'd recommend to time your trip to Ohe'o fairly close to the trip to Haleakala summit (The pass is valid for three days). With regards to the gulch, it's recommended to not get super close to the edges of the cliff as they're slippery and might give away during turbulent weather. read more

See all

The pools are not impressive, there's a waterfall nearby, but you can't go near. We just took few pictures and left. read more

See all

(Review as of: 12/14/2022) Along the Pipiwai Trail, you will see this little waterfall over one of the scenic view points. If you keep walking and listening the waterfall, there is a small spot where you can veer off from the main trail and hike down 100 feet or so, to get to the rocky base of 'Ohe'o Gulch falls. If you're going on a busy day and there's a lot of other hikers, do yourself a favor and take this detour. Enjoy your time, stop by the base of the falls, sit, re-hydrate (not the water here, but w/ your own), take some pictures and relax a bit before continuing. This is a great start to the Pipiwai Trail as it is quite enjoyable and picturesque. Very easy hike to get to, and would recommend others to adventure towards. read more

See all

We came here after hiking the Pipiwai Trail, so we were pretty tired. It's a short and east half mile loop. If you have the energy, it's worth seeing. The views are pretty, but it was hard to be super impressed after the rest of the Road to Hana and the Pipiwai Trail. Getting here is a bit difficult. It's a bit past Hana, so you can take the Road to Hana if you want. We did this on the way there which made for a lot of activities. It was faster (1.5 hours I think) on the way back to Kihei to go down the south side of the island. This is a very bumpy and not always paved road. It's not a fun drive, especially at night. I wouldn't drive down just for this, but if you're in the area for other things, it's worth a stop. read more

See all

The hike to get here is half a mile round trip and relatively easy. I would only recommend coming here only if you do the Pipiwai Trail. Otherwise it's not worth it to make the drive just to see the pools. There wasn't much water coming down each pool when I visited and it was closed for swimming. The views here are nice though. The parking lot and restrooms serves visitors for this and the Pipiwai Trail. read more

See all

Waterfalls looked promising but however not opened due to weather :( Located in Haleakala National park and requires a $30 fee for 3 day use. Plenty of parking, visitor center and restrooms available. The hike to the falls is easy and only 0.6 loop trail so great for families and expectant mothers (like myself). Overall would have been a fun experience if the pools were open for swimming, however would expect a lot of people during the summer season. read more

Ohe'o Gulch - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

From Ka'anapali, driving to Ohe'o Gulch takes a LONG time (2.5 to 3 hours) so be prepared to make a day of it. Since my party of four is adventurous, we hiked the Pipiwai Trail, then relaxed in the cool waters of Ohe'o Gulch (AKA 7 Sacred Pools). Because Maui has been relatively dry, crossing the stream was no big deal, but hiking up to the most upper pool was challenging, yet rewarding. As a side note, if it's been relatively dry, the park opens the pools. If not, they're closed because the rocks are super slippery when wet; thus, I felt soooooooo fortunate to have been able to experience the pools. Calling the park ahead of time might be helpful in that you don't drive all the way over there only to find the pools closed. For the pools, I wore my swim clothes under my hiking clothes and carried my Chaco sandals to swim in. Others in my party did not feel a need to wear sandals. Like ripping off a bandage, you gotta plunge into the water because it's on the cold side. After hiking the Pipiwai Trail, the cold water felt refreshing. Taking pictures with the waterproof camera near the waterfall was the fun part. read more

Ohe'o Gulch - Waterfalls are fun! - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

See all

Giving 4 stars because of limited hours - we started the Road to Hana on a Saturday morning and hoped to make it here but learned upon arrival that it closed at 4 PM. We need to plan better on our part clearly, but we were disappointed and saw a lot of other travelers making u-turns as well. This stop is 45 min past Hana fyi, but I was told by friends that it is a must-see. read more

Ohe'o Gulch - Closed - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

This was out last stop on Road to Hana. I'm not 100% sure it worth the drive though. The hike was really easy. Roughly a half-mile or so and easy walking. The view is really pretty, but the pools are kinda meh. The site has nice bathrooms as well. read more

See all

So cool you gotta see! The basic hikes are not to bad. There is a lot of parking and we didn't get charged for entry to just hike.

Bottom Line: Beautiful but probably best admired via a long hike or helicopter ride. Ohe'o Gulch is commonly known as the Seven Sacred Pools and is located within Haleakala National Park. As of October 2017 the entrance fee was $25 and the pools were closed for swimming. That was a steep price to pay for casual viewing from the 1/2 mile loop and for a bathroom with hand soap and paper towels. Also, it's a 2.5 or 3 hour drive to get to the pools from "civilization." Unfortunately, like many tourists, my visit to Seven Sacred Pools was very brief so I did not take advantage of the beauty they offer. Ideally, I recommend hiking the four mile trail along the falls and doing s fly over in a helicopter to understand the scale of the falls. I saw aerial footage of Ohe'o Gulch and after that, a close up viewing in person was a bit disappointing. read more

Ohe'o Gulch - A view of three lower falls and their pools. - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

This place is beautiful! Waterfalls everywhere you look and little pools to swim in. If you are driving to Hana you will want to go here also. It's worth the side trip. We went in mid-May and the weather was perfect. I won't waste more of your time with my writings. Look at the photos. read more

See all

On the extreme far southeastern side of Maui, far from the tourist towns of Wailea, Kihei, and Lahaina is the Ohe'o gulch. Some publicist thought it would generate more tourist dollars by renaming it the Seven Pools Sacred Springs. Reaching Seven Pools is a monumental task, and has caused it share of nervous breakdowns. I drove nearly 3 hours the entire length of the road to Hana, with its 600+ hairpin curves, 54 one lane bridges, and then another 5 mile stretch of 10 mph, lane and a half, blind curved roads along the south eastern shores of Maui. A good portion of the time with locals in a big pickups inevitably pushing me right on my behind! Ohe'o gulch is located in Haleakala National Park, which has a $10 admission fee,. I get in with a lifetime national park pass, available for all 62 year olds. Hey we only have some many good years left! There is a visitor center with bathrooms, and parking spaces for about 160 vehicles. However the drinking fountains and sinks are shut down today, so we have to buy a bottle of water for our 4 mile round trip hike up the Pipiwai Trail next door. A lot people swim in the Ohe'o Gulch, after hiking the 4 mile Pipiwai trail next door -don't want to stink up the car with body odor for the 3 hour trip back to Wailea! The place is full of lush vegetation, waterfalls spilling over freshwater pools, leading down a crevice to the sea. Here is where the Haleakala crater meets the Pacific ocean, and it is a sight to tell your grandkids! Today the water is a bit murky, and the banks of the pool muddy, as the water level is not as high as during the peak of the rainy season. Only a handful of swimmers, with bone chilling afternoon high winds blowing from the ocean. We do the half mile circular hike around the ancient ruins nearby, while the small excursion buses dump load after load of tourists nearby. Young ladies in bikinis and flip flops, while others in shorts and red leather flats, with cameras, smart phones, or tablets clicking away pictures of paradise. We spend 3 hours hiking the Pipiwai trail, and another hour eating lunch and viewing the sights and people at seven pools, before driving the return harrowing 3 hour trip back to Hana and the reverse road to Hana, to Wailea. I tell the wife, that I drive this route once per marriage -once for my first marriage, and now once for the second marriage! read more

See all

AKA Seven Sacred Pools Once you accomplish the winding trail to Hana, this is a great place to hike up in the wilderness. A hike in the forests is astounding and the seven sacred pools with picturesque postcard views. There are different areas that you can stand closer to the edge for a better view or to take pictures. Be careful , one slip and off you go into the lava rock sharp edges below. It is very slippery during the rain. The falls and pools are astounding as well as the trails. They have an old shelled out house made of branches. (Wish it was mine). See photos. Then there is this creepy tree along the trail from the seven sacred pools. It is a weird tree. If it ate me, it would probably spit me out and say "yuuuck" The park itself is small and nice and the person working the booth gave me a discount because of my special I.D. Had a great time despite showers in the area. Time to tour the rest of the island. read more

See all

It's as good as it gets...even though we got here and the waters were brown and muddy. If you're like me, I always seem to do things spontaneously, unprepared, and end up learning the hard way. So this post is to save you the trouble of making the mistakes I made! Here are your Ohe'o Gulch tips. 1. Get there early (but I guess this goes for any excursion you do on the Road to Hana.) But the best way to do so is to do Road to Hana in REVERSE!!! Trust me on this one. I learned about this from a YouTube video and it worked MAGICALLY! The drive in reverse is just as amazing and with less cars. See pictures attached. The only setback--lots of unpaved road en route there! To do the Road in reverse, see Google map in pictures attached. 2. The Gulch is inside Haleakala National Park and you have to pay $25 to get in. Yup. Not a free excursion unfortunately. Then, you go on a 1/2 mile trek to the actual Gulch via the Kuloa Point Trail. See signage in the pictures. The signs are pretty explicit in the park. 3. Pack a lunch before you get there. You'll definitely want food after swimming in the pools. 4. Bring waterproof hiking shoes and/or extra flip-flops if you want to take swim at the Gulch and/or wade beneath Waimoku Falls. So of course I didn't know this and hiked 5 miles total (4-mile roundtrip to Waimoku Falls and 1-mile roundtrip to Pools of Ohe'o) in my Birkenstock slippers. So hiking shoes or any shoes is not necessary BUT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! read more

See all

It's quite a journey to Ohe'o Gulch. It's on the backside of Haleakala so you have two options if you want to drive to Ohe'o: Road to Hana (and go way past Hana) or Piilani Highway. Either route is beautiful. And everytime I think Maui is small, the notion is quickly dispelled as I drive through Piilani and the vastness of "just Haleakala" becomes apparent. Been here twice, more than a decade apart. Although both experiences were different, they were both memorable. I was here when it was still not a National Park. It was a great place to fulfill your bucket list of "swimming under a waterfall" and "jumping off a waterfall". Allegedly. It is against the "Pool Rules" so... ALLEGEDLY. There are numerous signs forbidding jumping off from one pool to the next for the safety of the visitors. There could be rocks under the surface not visible when you are on top and jumping in might cause injuries. Now that it is one of the National Parks, there are a bunch of railings, more warnings, an actual concrete cement stairs to get down to the pools from the top. It was raining when were were there for my second visit and the waterfalls were strong strong strong and roaring. So no hiking to the pools on this day. It was beautiful to watch all that water roaring to the ocean. Unfortunately, the rain turned the water muddy so though it was truly cleansing, all that cleansing went to the waters in the waterfalls. There is a short hike to the pools/waterfalls from the large free parking lot. It was extremely muddy and slippery after the rain so be careful. There is a path that could take you to the edge of the cliff and it is crazy windy up there. The view from the cliffs is so worth it though. Watching the water from the island drain to the ocean and the powerful waves crashing into the cliffs is truly a sight to behold. The parking lot area has a large restroom facilities. Lots of cute stray kittens too. read more

Mile marker #42 on the road to Hana located at the Haleakala national park $20 fee to enter and park. The seven sacred pools were closed unfortunately when we got there due to falling rocks! Super lame since we heard so much about the pools. We decided to take the 4 mile round trip hike first through the bamboo forest first to the waterfall which is the left trail. The right trail leads you to the pools. It's about a half mile hike to the sacred pools. You'll take a paved path with small stones. You get a great view of the ocean on the right while you are walking. We only walked up the 3 lower pools, which has the gate that leads you down to swim. But it was locked up for closure. We took a few photos and looked at the views but decided not to complete the hike to the other pools. It wasn't anything spectacular to me personally. It was just pools of water and a little waterfall. The water looked really discolored anyways not something I would want to swim in but worth checking out for the views. read more

See all

I'm very adventurous but I won't sign a waiver to swim in this pools. There are warning signs everywhere and I highly suggest to not go and swim in it. You might regret it. Just saying... It's beautiful, you've seen it and captured some great photos, the next thing to do is walk away and keep on hiking to the top where you will see the bamboos erected to the skies. It's the next treat to experience and it's in the vicinity. It's to see such beauty and there is a huge, big banyan tree along the hike. So, there's that. Now, if you really must swim in these pools just don't make a scene and have No regrets because you had to do it. If you glance at other photos other than this I took, there were times when the current was calmer and people did swim. However, when I went this past month, the water was pretty high and the current was unpredictable. Fyi only... read more

Ohe'o Gulch - It was peaceful but looks can be deceiving, so they say... - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

Awesome hiking spot I go every year, I'm missing it this year Ok for almost any fitness level and you can go off path for more adventure Even my 5 year old nephew has been hiking it since he was a super little read more

Sure, you can do the Pipiwai trail, but if you're pressed for time (or not into hiking), the 0.5 mile loop down to the O'heo Gulch is well worth the $20 admission into the Haleakala National Park. The "Seven Sacred Pools" lived up to the hype, not just because of the spectacular views of the pools, but because of the variety of vista points in the area to get a great look. read more

Also known as the seven sacred pools and one of the most magnificent encounters one could experience in their lifetime!

Cool to do after the hike. You can do the loop and it will probably take you 29 min. Cool water view as well. read more

See all

It is a serious trek to get out here over miles of narrow, winding highways, two way traffic competing for right of way on one lane roads and oversized cars squeezing past oversized tourist vans. So it can be disappointing to finally arrive after wondering if you and your car are actually going to make it in one piece only to find out that the pools are closed to swimmers, hikers and just people in general and your only chance to see the sights will be to view them from afar, from behind a fence, perched on a cliff above the pools. If your not planning to hike the pipiwai trail I would recommend checking the National Park website prior to heading out this way to confirm that the pools are open... otherwise your traveling a LONG way for a 10 minute hike and a quick glimpse of the pools from a subpar viewing point. read more

This park was probably my favorite part of Maui. The short 0.5 mile hike (more like a stroll) to Oheo Gulch alone is worth the $20 admission fee (I went with my bf; it's $10 per person). However, the 4 mile roundtrip to Waimoku Falls is one of the best hikes I've ever had. Definitely an adventure. The weather is unpredictable. It's sunny one moment and sprinkling the next. Good shoes is a must! It's quite pebbly on the trail. Walking in your flip flops will not feel good. PRO TIP: Save your receipt from the admission fee. It's good for three days and applies to Haleakala summit park. read more

It poured rain and no articles I read suggested bringing rain gear. So we missed out. Bring rain gear. It's $30 to park. Might be worth it, but I wasn't prepared read more

Beautiful area, only bummer when we went swimming was prohibited due to potential flash flooding from the inner rainforest areas...

I guess the pools aren't always open to swimming and I would sure be mad if I went through the entire road to Hana only to get here and have the pools closed. But they were open when I went, and they were amazing. Slick black rock, deep pools of icy water, where you can swim or climb right into a waterfall and let its beautiful power rain over your body. The contrast of green foliage and black rock is magazine-worthy. I felt like I fulfilled a childhood dream here. read more

This part of Haleakala National Park is great for hiking. If you went up to the crater your pass is good here. It is the last stop on the road to Hana at mile marker 42. So it is a long drive to get there so plan accordingly. That means getting there early enough to hike and get back out if you are not staying in Hana. We did the Pipiwai Trail which eventually takes you through the Bamboo Forest and up to the falls. read more

GORGEOUS!!! Absolutely stunning! Easy to find this location with the park signs. Since we were military we did not pay the entrance fee ($15 I think), but it is so worth it! We had a mixed agility and aged group, but thankfully there were a few options to see the pools. They ranged from 2 miles to 800 meters, so naturally we opted for the 800 meters and my mom with bad knees had no issues! The views are breathtaking and there were several people who were swimming. It did look refreshing, but we simply did not have time. Totally worth scoping out! A road to Hana MUST see! read more

Okay views, satisfactory last stop for Road to Hana. It's a 0.5 miles roundtrip walk to see the pools that flow into the ocean. I don't know how people jump into the pools, because it seems pretty well fenced off. It looks like a far jump too, so I would not recommend it it at all. Also, when we went, the pools were pretty muddy. Anyway, if you're coming by, I would suggest taking a look; otherwise, it's not really worth going too far for. Worth a stop, but don't go out of your way to visit it. read more

I have been here in the past and this trip upon arriving at the National Park entrance gate where you have to pay $20. I was informed that you are no longer able to enter the pools and swim. After countless hours in the car doing the 'road to hana' I was extremely upset that I was unable to swim. In the parks defense there might have been a 'warning' on their website I'm not really sure as I never did look. But this was an absolute must in the past doing the road trip. Now, I'm not really sure read more

This place is probably amazing on a sunny warm summer day when there hasn't been a great deal of bad weather and rain. Our visit in december was muddy yucky and closed pools. read more

Ohe'o Gulch - Closed pools because of all the rain :( call ahead - Parks Near Me - Kula, Hawaii

See all

Please be careful here! Many people swim in these pools, which are in a remote area. I jumped into one of the pools and dislocated my collar bone because of the way I hit the surface of the water. The ranger said many, many people get injured here. I rode an ambulance to get to the nearest clinic which is in Hana (the drive from the pools to Hana is about 35 minutes on a windy, narrow road). The doctor at the clinic said they have about one death per month at the pools. Enjoy looking at the pools but don't jump into them! Some people hit rocks, some people hit the bottom, some people slip. Then once we left the Hana clinic, we still had a 3 hour drive on the Hana Highway to get us back to where we were staying in Kihei. read more

This can be a dangerous place and the hike to the pools for swimming is treacherous, not for the faint of heart. However, it is worth it.. it is goregeous on the right day, on the wrong day they will be closed for swimming due to flash flood hazard and I am sure no one wants to be swept out into the ocean.... It is truly a tropical dream. The road to Hana to get there is a tough on and a task, be prepared and there are a lot of stops and other swimming spots on the way. There is a fee at the gate and I wasn't able to swim because the pools were closed for swimming which made me sad. However, they have a cool visitors center and great view. read more

Ive been going there as every year since i was a child visiting family on Maui. These past couple of times Ive went with friends and cousins either we have had bad timing or someones done something dumb there, but the past years the pools have been closed every time we go. I went today with my fiancé and her parents and it was closed today due to falling rocks which was understandable plus the water was brown so it was probably loaded with the bacteria that mimics the flesh eating bacteria. Its nice and I will always go and in the future I would bring my kids as well, but if people expect it to stay open unless mother nature doesn't allow it to(heavy rain, bacteria, flooding) people need to respect the area and know their limits. Just because its not raining at the lower pools doesn't mean its not raining at the uppers. Flash floods are no joke over there and can be on top of you in seconds if your not expecting it. My grandparents always used to tell me when they heard about someone getting swept out to the ocean from the pools over there. Saw a rescue helicopter go up to the upper falls to pick someone up today. Be safe know your limits, respect the area, and if you don't know about the conditions ask a local or a park ranger whats going on. read more